Spark & Anvil Privacy

When two ideas meet

Two people, one decision each time. Choose, see what actually happens, then reflect.

A case · you decide

Thane and Cole: every paragraph argues the claim

Thane & Cole — a writer with one arguable thesis, and a friend who writes topic sentences

The idea in play: each topic sentence should give one reason for the thesis, so the paragraphs add up to the argument instead of retelling the book.

Thane's thesis: "The narrator of the novel cannot be trusted." Cole's first body paragraph starts: "The novel begins in a small town in winter."

The paragraph that follows is accurate, and mostly summary.

What is the strongest topic sentence for that paragraph?

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A case · you decide

Dax and Val: two hundred words too long

Dax & Val — a writer who revises to make it better, and a friend who cuts what isn’t pulling its weight

The idea in play: revising under a word limit means cutting repetition and filler first, and keeping the evidence the argument needs.

Dax's essay is 1,200 words; the limit is 1,000. Val reads it and finds that paragraph four makes the same point as paragraph two.

Paragraph three holds the only direct quote supporting the second reason.

What should Dax cut first?

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A case · you decide

Voxa and Thane: the quote is true, but does it prove the point?

Voxa & Thane — a writer who weaves in evidence, and a friend who guards the thesis

The idea in play: evidence only supports a claim when you explain how it proves it; a true quote that shows something else leaves the claim unproven.

Thane's paragraph claims: "The town council ignored the warnings about the dam." Voxa's evidence is an accurate quote: "The dam was built in 1931 and repaired twice."

The quote is real and correctly cited. Nothing in it mentions a warning or the council.

What is the problem with this evidence?

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